THE OLD COLONY POWER SQUADRON                                       

 

The Old Colony, Sail and Power Squadron a unit of the United States Power Squadrons Sail and Power Boating in District 12, located in South East New England, Massachusetts.   (See map of squadron locations in USPS® District 12.)

Our squadron was incorporated (founded) in 1950.  Mark L. McAdams was our first Commander.

We have had several special anniversary parties throughout the years. The last one was to celebrate our 50^th anniversary. We had hats, t-shirts, golf shirts, jackets, and coffee mugs made up with our burgee and squadron name imprinted on them. A copy of the embroidery is at the right. Our burgee is a red pennant with a black pilgrim hat over a white Massachusetts state.

The official newsletter of the squadron is The Crier. It is published ten months of the year. In it you will find the names and phone numbers of the bridge, the commanders message, education info, area fishing info, news of upcoming events and the next meeting. We have our own website too. The address is www.usps.org/localusps/ocps.

 Our roster is published yearly after membership dues have been paid and is generally ready for distribution by the end of June. The roster contains the name, address, phone number, boat information and e-mail address for each member. It also contains contact information for Bridge and Executive Committee members as well as squadron committee chairmen.

We all prize our privacy, and request that you don’t publish or give away the information our roster contains.

Every year in February we celebrate Founders Day. This is a formal dinner meeting, usually with a guest speaker, to recognize the founding of the power squadron. We also staff the booth at the boat show in Boston to push boating safety and the upcoming courses.

March brings the Change of Watch where the new bridge takes over. This is also a formal occasion that pays tribute to the outgoing commander with accolades to his/her bridge. A highlight to the evening is the presentation of the “Bent Prop Award”. This is a special trophy presented to the squadron member who suffered the worst grounding of the season. It’s all in good fun, although, no one wants to “earn” it or admit to it.

The spring starts the public boating course. We run two courses a year. The other one is in September. This is where, as you know, we get our new members. You have to take and pass the course before you can be invited to join. We also hold several advanced courses throughout the year. Seamanship and Piloting are your next step in higher education. In May we take part in Safe Boating Week. We’re always pushing the safe boating theme.

   You may find us at a boat ramp, marina, or yacht club handing out pamphlets.

Our annual auction is also in May at the Marshfield Y.C. There we have many items donated by various stores and members. It’s a real fun time with many bargains to be had. The summer brings the boating season and our rendezvous. We usually have several of them a year. Our membership is divided between the Boston area and the Cape, so we try to have a rendezvous in each area and also in between. Another activity is the vessel safety program. We have several members who are qualified to inspect your vessel to be sure that it meets all the federal and state requirements. This is a free service with no penalties involved. Its purpose is to point out deficiencies in your vessel and safety equipment.

The fall brings another public boating class and also our annual clambake. This is an “all you can eat” extravaganza that can’t be beat! The members get together to cook lobsta, chicken, steak, hotdogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, steamers, homemade clam chowda, potato salad, “Joe’s famous” salad, watermelon, and dessert. We have a cash bar for sodas, beer, and wine. We also have a huge raffle table where nearly everyone goes home with something. We also start several advanced or elective courses at this time.

Our potluck dinner is held in November.  Members bring their favorite dish to share.

The winter brings moans of lament that the boating season is so far away.  It’s a good time to take a course.  It’s also a time when many of the “snowbirds” fly south for the winter.

There you have it.  We’ve gone full cycle.  We hope that what you’ve just read will spark your interest.  Remember that this is your squadron and you should take advantage of your membership and get involved. Your help, comments, and suggestions can only serve to improve our squadron.  Your efforts will also be rewarded with a merit mark.

 

Membership Information

In addition to the educational benefits you will find described on this web site, there are additional benefits of becoming a member of a USPS-affiliated squadron. Some of those benefits can be found by clicking here.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Old Colony Power Squadron, please contact  the Officer listed below:                                                          

Millie LeBlanc, AP     508-378-3542